The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure and more particularly to a vehicle body front structure including a cowl member.
JP-UM No. 58-6666 discloses a vehicle body front structure which includes a cowl member transversely extending between right and left front pillars and secured thereto in order to provide increased vehicle body rigidity. The engine compartment is defined by two longitudinally extending parallel hood side panels having front side members that act as vehicle longitudinal structural members which are secured to provide an increased bending rigidity of vehicle body. The hood side panels are curved inwardly to define tire housings. Box-shaped strut towers are joined therewith. Connected to top ends of the strut towers are struts of front suspension units, respectively.
According to this known vehicle body structure, the strut towers tend to incline inward toward the center line of the engine compartment owing to load input from the front suspension units, thus requiring a transversely extending beam to minimize this tendency. Besides, the strut towers tend to incline inward and move rearward to interfere with some of the other component parts within the engine compartment, resulting in substantial deformation of an instrument or dash panel of the vehicle.
An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a vehicle body front structure which effectively prevents inward inclination of strut towers for increased vehicle body structural strength.